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Friday, April 28, 2006

Pfeiffer's Fabulous Five

I'm pleased as punch to participate in the Michelle Pfeiffer Blogathon, a multi-site extravaganza coordinated by The Film Experience to coincide with the diva's birthday this weekend. I've never thought of myself as a fan of La Pfeiffer, but in preparing this post, I realized that I may never have given her the credit she's due. Here's a sample DVD viewing party; tell me if you agree that she rocks the house in each.

5. Susie Diamond in The Fabulous Baker BoysAlthough many focus on Pfeiffer's gorgeous gams and unvarnished vocals, she's really just borrowing a page from the Marlene Dietrich playbook: naked and unabashed sex appeal, without sacrificing an ounce of intellect. And yes, she tears the roof off the place while warbling "Makin' Whoopee". However, we already knew she could sing, because we saw...

4. Stephanie Zinone in Grease 2Following Olivia Newton-John in the overpumped 50's nostalgia sequel is no easy task; the fact that the role is underwritten doesn't help much either. But it's here that we discover Pfeiffer at her most resilient. She takes the coarsely-hewn material and spins kitschy gold out of it, salivating through ridiculous numbers like "Cool Rider" and finding a tough-as-frosted-hair edge to her character.

3. Catwoman in Batman Returns"Iconic" is the first word that comes to mind when thinking of her batshit-crazy turn in as the feline arch-villainess. What is amazing about the performance is its breadth and intensity; under Tim Burton's candyland vision, Pfeiffer manages a venomous blend of arch drama and comedy. But in the film's final scenes, she manages the unthinkable...your heart breaks for a woman who knows there's no future for her. (Damn shame Halle Berry had to come along and ruin the movie that should have been Michelle's.)

2. Sukie Ridgemont in The Witches of EastwickPlaying the 'straight man' to the zanier performances of Cher and Susan Sarandon, Pfeiffer's overworked, stressed-out Sukie was the most complex seduction accomplished by Jack Nicholson's horny little devil. For Sukie, there was more than just the promise of good times and spiritual freedom; there was a way out of the trapped existence that her children and deadbeat ex-husband had left her in. Pfeiffer captures a surprising amount of detail in nearly-wordless scenes, a master of silent communication.

1. Madame Marie de Tourvel in Dangerous LiaisonsEven in a film that contains career-best work by Glenn Close and John Malkovich, Pfeiffer manages to steal a scene or two as the devout Madame de Tourvel. Her emotional rollercoaster is so abjectly painful that I often have to wince when watching the film's final confrontation. Emotional and psychological abuse has rarely been captured so extravagantly, or so effectively. Pfeiffer's work moves the film from great work into the rarefied realm of film classics.